A group of Chilean representatives of different companies from the region's agricultural food sector traveled to Germany on a technological mission and participated in Anuga, the most important fair of the food and drinks market that is held every two years in the city of Cologne.
Germany has positioned itself as a pioneer country in the creation of technological solutions and the development of knowledge to encourage a more efficient use of energy and processes that are more friendly to the environment.
In Chile, more and more companies are seeking to incorporate into their production chain measures to improve the energy efficiency of their processes and to explore new means of generation based on renewable energies. It is this growing concern that has led a group of 12 businessmen from the Maule region to get up to speed on this matter and learn about the solutions applied by companies in Germany's food industry.
As part of this Technology Mission, which was organized by the Smart Energy Concepts project of the Chilean German Chamber of Commerce (CAMCHAL), the group made six visits to food companies and farmers' associations that have incorporated Energy Efficiency measures and renewable resources in their processes.
The Chilean delegation was mainly made up of companies that collaborate with the Maule Alimenta Regional Strategic Program, dedicated to the export of fresh and frozen fruit, the production of olive oil and cheeses and the reproduction of fruit trees, and a representative of the Association of Irrigation and Drainage (AGRYD). The delegation had the opportunity to learn about various sustainable initiatives to optimize their consumption and energy savings in the tour through various locations in the North Rhine Westphalia region.
As part of their tour, the delegation visited Drago Mocambo, a family company that processes around 500 tons of coffee per year and that renewed its heating by installing a heat recovery system. They also visited the Rüther company, which is dedicated to the sale and transport of fruit and vegetables. This company optimized the operation of their refrigeration and freezing chambers with high efficiency technology, which achieved an energy saving of around 40%.
During the trip, they also visited the Tönebön butchery, a slaughterhouse and meat processor of the region. Part of the energy for production is generated through a cogeneration system and an 11 kWp photovoltaic plant for self-consumption. All the systems they use are connected through smart meters and automated controls.
"It was, without a doubt, a great experience to visit and learn about the various tools and technologies used by German companies. It will favor the development of our new cold and cranberry packing plant, where we want to implement clean and sustainable energy," stated Rodrigo Molina, the Executive Director of the Exportadora Ranco Foods SPA.
The Technological Mission to Germany also participated in Anuga, the world's most important fair for retail trade and the market for food services and catering. The event, which is held every two years in the city of Cologne, allowed the delegation to find out about the main trends, innovations and business opportunities for the sector. The delegation received the support from CAMCHAL, official representative of the ANUGA fair in Chile, to schedule business meetings for its members.
According to the head of Smart Energy Concepts, Annika Schüttler, the tour to Germany was "a great inspiration in terms of ideas of where and with what technology the companies that accompanied us can reduce energy consumption in their productive processes. In addition, they made important commercial links for the export of fruit and its by-products from Chile to Germany."
Source: SimFRUIT according to information from Camchal